I WONDER...... if they even considered this idea: What if we had given xbow hunters THEIR OWN SPECIAL SEASON.....the week between archery and bear, when for no apparent reason () there is never any deer season. There would be plenty of big bucks still chasing does so they could experience some rut action, and the week long season could then have been evaluated aftre the first year or even two, harvests tallied versus license sales to calculate success rates....then considered for full inclusion. Would have made a whole lotta sense to this armchair biologist. As well as provided additional hunting opportunity. Anyone ever wonder why they close archery down just as the rut is usually approaching its peak, and nothing but small game until bear opens the following Monday? I'm betting that would have been a prime time for a trial crossbow season. (Or even ML! hee, hee....)